Bessi
The Bessi (singular: Bess) are a major race in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the major inhabitants of the Bessite Alliance. They are tall, thin, bipedal, and, most notably, have four arms. They also have an iconic shell on the top of their head, developed in an adolescent age. Biology The Bessi are tall and thin, having developed on the relatively low-gravity planet of Taros. On other planets, this can make them fragile, making them unsuitable for ground combat. However, in space, they hold an advantage, that being that they can manuever more easily in the zero-G environment. Their natural lifespan is from 60-70 years. The Bessi reproduce sexually, though the exact method is unique. A male Bessite will signify it desires a mate by releasing an aura from beneath its shell. The aura is considered attractive to female Bessi, and if one so chooses, she will approach the male and offer to be his mate. Should he accept the offer, they will designate a date to reproduce. Upon the date, they are to meet at a specified location (generally either one's private residence), where the physical process will begin. The physical reproduction process is a secret kept by the Bessi themselves. None of them feel obligated to reveal it to anyone, even the Vorai, their close ally. As such, the process remains largely unknown, however it is known that the unborn baby develops over a period of 7 months inside a small sac housed by the mother. When the baby has fully developed, the sac will burst open, and the newborn Bessite will emerge from it. It matures gradually for about 22 years until it grows its shell. The growth of the shell is considered the final step into adulthood, and when it has developed, the Bessite is given a small ceremony to celebrate their adulthood. The Bessi consume food and nutrients similar to how a human does - by chewing food in its mouth and absorbing its nutrients in the body. History See Also: Bessite Alliance Early History The Bessi are said to be an ancient race, evolving from their predecessors 20,000 years before Humans. There was a brief period of nomadic activity for about 1,000-2,000 years before they settled down in a society. This society was not bound by borders, but was a coherent, united nation of the Bessite people. This, however, had the drawback of extreme xenophobia. It's thought that Taros was once a diverse planet, populated by numberous species. However, over the course of 5-10,000 years, these species were gradually eradicated as the Bessi expanded and clashed with their neighboring species. Once the Bessi encompassed the enire planet, they settled down in their society once and for all. Total Dormancy "Total Dormancy" is the name given to the period from the Voraian Old Year 1-Middle Year 18 and Human 15,000 BCE-691 BCE in which the Bessite state did not progress territorially. However, culturally, major changes were in effect. The Bessite religion, Ousism, was being developed into its current state. Societal standards and folklore were developed, the Bessite language shifted. Over these many thousands of years, the Bessite people formed an identity based around their religion, and became nearly what they are today. Expansion The Bessite Expansion was brought about by Minister Mauro IV. Mauro's outlook was that the Bessite people were stagnant, ever since his people settled down with their religion. He took the outlook that the next step for the Bessite people was expansion beyond Taros. Under him, rudimentary rocket systems were built by the Bessite Science League, and in the Voraian calendar Middle Year 701 (28 CE on Earth), landed the first Bessi on an object besides Taros, that being the nearby asteroid Alo. This propelled the Bessite people's knowlege, as the information gained from this experiment allowed the Science League to produce more efficient technology faster, and this contiued with each landing. The Bessite eventually colonozied their whole solar system, and dedicated several hundred years (Middle Year 711-1013, 38 CE- 330 CE) completely Bessifying it. Their attention to complete Bessification of each solar system they occupied was a factor in their slow rate of expansion. Drao-Bessite War (New Year 6-9) After centuries of expansion, the Bessite Alliance was still relatively small due to the length of the Bessification process. Furhtermore, due to the Bessi's comparitively short lifespan, the process took even longer. Eventually, however, things changed forever when they encountered the Drata. The Drata saw the Bessi as pitiful, weak creatures who were incapable of great expansion or holding power. As such, they wasted no time in invading. The Drato-Bessite War was a humungous success for the Drata, who crushed their opponents in a mere three years. The Bessite surrender in the war had the Bessite Alliance turned into the Drato-Bessite Legion, limited to one solar system, and transformed into a tributary state, led by puppet leaders. Dratan Era Under the Dratan Empire, Bessite culture and religion were suppressed. The Bessite, who had never used a calendar system before, were forced into using the Dratan Calendar. In fact, an attempt was even made to culturally shift the Bessite people into worshipping the Drata as superiors. However, the movement backfired, and millions of angry Bessi would come to resent the Drata. However, there was little they could do to stop the Drata, as they were physically stronger and had a superior army. Organized resistence became scarce, and the Bessi were suppressed for over 400 years. Drato-Voraian War (New Year 477-485) When the Dratan Empire and the Commonwealth of the Vorai went to war in New Year 477, the Bessite rejoiced when they heard a foe to the Drata had actually managed to hold their lines and even push. Widespread anti-Drata protests occurred, and the pro-Drata Minister Moria X became increasingly worried that an uprising may occur. She requested support from Emperor Kalai III, but was denied on the grounds that the Empire needed every man they had to fight the seemingly unstoppable Vorai. Tension within the Drato-Bessite Legion grew until one Bessite man, a religious leader named Atlas, led a group of Bessite insurgents to stage a coup against Moria. The coup was a success, and Atlas declared himself Miniter Atlas I of the Bessite Alliance. He declared war on the Dratan Empire and enlisted the aid of the Vorai, who responded with gratitude. Together, the Bessi and Vorai pushed against the Drata, squeezing them in and encircling them near the Western border. With much of the Dratan army encircled, Kalai III was in a tough position, but still refused to surrender. With the aid of the Vorai, the Bessite Alliance would push through parts of the south of the Dratan Empire, before pushing straight for the capital along with the Vorai themselves. Now with Chaski under attack, Kalai III ultimately agreed to surrender, ceding western lands to the Commonwealth of the Vorai and restoring the Bessi Alliance to its pre-conquest borders. Post-War After the conclusion of the Drato-Voraian War, the Bessite Alliance was restored to its original borders, and it found an ally in the Commonwealth of the Vorai. They abandoned the Dratan calendar, however now realizing the need for a method of telling years, they adopted the Voraian Calendar. Ties between the Bessi and Vorai only strengthened as each side traded idea with the other. The Bessi introduced the Vorai to the concepts of religion and sexual reproduction, whereas the Vorai introduced the Bessi to greater technology and knowlege. It became clear that the cooperation in the Drato-Voraian war was not a temporary alliance, and the unofficial alliance became official in New Year 490. The formation of the Defense Federation provided the Bessi with much-needed protection, as they were unable to fight most wars on their own. The Vorai were the first to introduce the Bessi to Humans. After the Vorai and Humans met in New Year 1028 (2272 CE on Earth), they agreed to postpone official relations until New Year 1031 (2275 CE on Earth). After about six months, the Vorai sent a diplomatic mission to Taros with two Humans on board. They explained the existence of humans, their biology, their society - most things about them. The Bessi were much more skeptical of the new arrivals than their Voraian allies, refusing to sign a non-aggression pact with them. It would not be until many years later that they would see Humans amicably. The Great Coalition War Main Article: The Great Coalition War In the early months of New Year 1074 (2318 CE), the Dratan Empire under Emperor Ova II invaded the Bessite Alliance. This was immediately followed by the Commonwealth of the Vorai declaring war on the Dratan Empire. The Bessite and Vorai were now at war with their old enemy once again. The Bessi relied on the Vorai for help, as their own legions could not push against the Drata. The Vorai aggreed, and sent divisions to the Drato-Bessite border to hold off the enemy. However, it became clear from early on that this war would be different from the Drato-Voraian War. Ova II had developed new ways of fighting, ways that the Vorai had not anticipated. The front stagnated, and in some areas the Drata were even pushing. For five years the situation persisted until the International Conglomerate joined the war in New Year 1078. The Drata now pushed into Human territory, including northern parts of the Core. This, however, took some weight off of the Vorai and Bessi, who were able to retake occupied lands. The tide of the war changed in their favor when the Great Encirclement of New Year 1084 occurred. This took out most of the Dratan army, and the Vorai and Bessi were able to push forward into Dratan territory. As all three nations pushed inwards towards Chaski, Ova II relented and surrendered in New Year 1090. In the ensuing treaty, the Bessite Alliance annexed a large chunk of land in the southwest of the Dratan Empire. Modern Era Minister Atlas V leads the Bessite Alliance today. He promoted the continued alliance with the Commonwealth of the Vorai, however stresses the importance of Bessite Sovereignty. He agrees in full with the International Conglomorate's decision to sanction the Dratan Empire into compliance, viewing it as a preventative measure to stop any more wars with the Drata.